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I agree with previous posters who suggested upstate NY (major cities being Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and perhaps Binghamton). We certainly get plenty of snow (with the exception of this very unusual winter). Summers may not get as hot as the southern states, but the temps are usually over 80-85 during June - August (which IMHO is plenty). With the heat index the temps can feel much warmer than that. Most summer nights cool down nicely to comfortable temps.
I would suggest Boise as a city to put on your list. I know several British transplants who live here. It is dry and hot in summer, low humidity, with occasional thunderstorms. Winter has snow days, but because of Boise's low elevation the snow usually melts quickly and is actually nice because you don't get that left over nasty dirty snow other cities experience when snow stays on the ground for days on end. Also, spring and autumn are awesome here, it is a great four seasons area to live.
In Boise you can bike around town and golf in the winter and not worry about snow sticking around for too long. The snow remains in the mountains above the city and there are a lot of mountains to go to if you want to be in the deep snow. There is also a great ski mountain above the city with killer night skiing.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rock_chalk
When someone tells me that they want a "lovely winter with lots of snow" my assumption is that they find snow aesthetically pleasing and likely also enjoy winter sports and activities.
Anywhere that routinely receives rain during the heart of the winter months is not going to achieve either of these goals. Slush and ice have none of the advantages of snow.
To me, any argument about "the majority of the country" is irrelevant here because the OP has the option of living pretty much anywhere.
But they want cities that hit both extremes in winter and summer...the places I described come about the closest to achieving these objectives as far as meeting both ends, at least if you included humidity in the summer. Excluding humidity, I guess I'd go for Denver.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadrippleguy
Indianapolis gets 2 feet of snow per winter. Compare that to Chicago which gets 7 feet of snow per winter or more depending on lake Effect. Or South Bend
Not really a comparison.
Less snow makes it better for life but in Indy you can still enjoy the 4 seasons. Hence the major advantage.
Exactly my point...same thing with St. Louis...we get a little less snow than Indy but on average a foot and a half....enough to keep you satisfied where you enjoy all four seasons.
Omaha actually doesn't typically get that much higher levels of snow (mid-20s in terms of inches), but is much colder due to latitude and the wind off the Plains is absolutely brutal. Chicago's typical average is about 3 feet of snow per winter, which generally is about the point people start to get annoyed with it...not to mention, cities as far north as Chicago rarely experience thaws (the exceptions of course being ones on the west or east coasts).
Indianapolis gets 2 feet of snow per winter. Compare that to Chicago which gets 7 feet of snow per winter or more depending on lake Effect. Or South Bend
Not really a comparison.
Less snow makes it better for life but in Indy you can still enjoy the 4 seasons. Hence the major advantage.
Chicago only averages about 38 inches of snow a winter. Several feel is a bit of an exaggeration.
If you want cold winters and hot dry summers I would suggest moving out west because the heat is more tolerable in the summer.
If you're looking for miserable weather the Midwest is the place to go. North or South Dakota get into the 100's in the summer and below zero in the winter if you want drier weather. Iowa gives you that nice 90's and super humid feel in the summer and teens in the winter, if you want something wetter.
But they want cities that hit both extremes in winter and summer...the places I described come about the closest to achieving these objectives as far as meeting both ends, at least if you included humidity in the summer. Excluding humidity, I guess I'd go for Denver.
The phrase used was "warm and hot summers, with lots of BBQ at night."
A triple-digit heat index is not necessary for a warm/hot summer day, especially in comparison to England, and I don't know anyone who enjoys hanging out by the grill when it's 95 F and humid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stlouisan
Exactly my point...same thing with St. Louis...we get a little less snow than Indy but on average a foot and a half....enough to keep you satisfied where you enjoy all four seasons.
I'm not sure how you figure that. Even if that foot of snow falls all at once, you're still only going to have a pretty winter scene for maybe a week and good skiing for maybe three days before warmer temps and rain turn it all to slush.
I've met people who hate snow and people who love snow, but I've never met anyone who likes ice and slush. Skies are also much greyer in the Midwest when compared to SLC or Denver.
Really not trying to be a hater here, there are a lot of great things about the Midwest. Weather isn't one of them, even if you enjoy temperature extremes. Winter here might be a thrill compared to the Gulf Coast, but recreational opportunities and snow quality are far better in many places out West.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Usually the places that are both cold AND snowy tend not to get so hot in the summers. The Dakotas get surprisingly hot but winters there are dry. There will still likely be snow on the ground. Montreal is very snowy and gets a pretty hot, humid summer. Nights in places like Buffalo are generally quite nice in summer.
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